I attended a local workshop on abstract painting. The instructor wanted us to experiment with paints, brushes, various objects as stamps, texture, etc. We were supposed to play. Beyond the painting itself, this was not an easy assignment. After 40 years of making themed bulletin boards, the idea of just playing around was not something that I was able to get into 100%. However, I did have something in mind that I wanted to "respresent." The painting above is the final product. The one below is my practice on paper. I'm not hanging either one up on my wall. I'm posting this under "Crafts." If I ever feel proud of one of my creations, I'll open "Painting" as a new category.

Every December, my community has a tour of homes to raise money for worthy local charities. Always a very popular event, this year was no exception. Each of the six homes had something unique to showcase for the holiday season. What immediately caught my eye as I entered one of them, were the garlands adorned with magnolias. They looked real, but it was December. I was curious as to where they came from and was stunned when the homeowner explained that they were made of balloons on wire frames. They must have been admired by many visitors, because the talented crafter was invited and generously agreed to offer a workshop showing us how to make them. I signed up as soon as I got the notice and felt lucky as the class immediately filled up. Additional sessions are coming, but mine was today! It needs a little adjusting, but here is my first attempt!

In case you are wondering, the center of the flower is real. The crafter told us she waits a few weeks after the petals drop to pick the conelike carpel clusters and stamens off the tree. She then lets the pods air dry. They will shrink during this process, so they need to be about twice as large as needed when picked. The leaves are faux; a source for nice ones in my area is Carolina Pottery. We used 12 inch balloons for the petals.